Building Inspection Reports

partners • October 8, 2017

The Inspector

An inspector should have practical experience in the building industry, be a member of a relevant professional or trade organisation, or hold relevant building trade qualifications. Members of the NZ Institute of Builder Surveyors meet these criteria.

There are no specific entry requirements to become a building inspector. However, experience in the industry and qualifications in areas such as construction, building science, architectural technology, carpentry or plumbing are essential for any role that involves site inspection.

  • Institution of Professional Engineers NZ
  • NZ Institute of Architects
  • NZ Institute of Building Inspectors
  • NZ Institute of Quantity Surveyors
Standards NZ has developed a standard for the inspection of residential property (NZS4306:2005 Residential Property Inspection) which lists in detail the areas to be covered in a property inspection, and identified the types of defects found in houses and apartments.

This document must be used by the building inspector.

Property Report

The property report is not a guarantee that all possible defects have been identified. It provides information about those defects visible at the time of the inspection. You have to decide if the defects are significant enough to put you off purchasing. Neither is the property report a guarantee that the house meetsall the requirements under the Building Act. It does not look into compliance with the Building Code, for example, to see if alterations were done with building consent. You can ask for a special report on this or do your own investigations by looking at the Land Information Memorandum (LIM) and council files.

“The property report is not a guarantee that all possible defects have been identified”

The Written Report

In the written report provided by the inspector you should expect to see the following information:

  • Address of the property inspected.
  • Name of the person requesting the report.
  • Inspector’s name and the name of anyone else present.
  • Inspector’s qualifications and experience.
  • Weather at time of inspection.
  • Date of the inspection.
  • Scope of the inspection.
  • What the inspection did not cover and the reasons why.
  • The conclusion as to the overall condition of the property, taking into account its age, type and general expectations of similar properties. This is an important point. If you are buying a 50-year old house, expect it to have the odd defect.
  • A list of significant faults or defects.
  • Recommendations for any further inspections, for example, by an electrical, plumbing or drainage inspector, or an engineer or surveyor.

What a Property Report Does not Cover

Generally, a basic property inspection does not cover (unless specially requested in a special-purpose report):

  • Title search.
  • Planning and resource consent issues.
  • Building consent and code compliance.
  • Special heritage property obligations.
  • Compliance with body corporate rules, the terms of a memorandum of cross lease or a company title, occupation agreement, and body corporate costs for apartments.
  • Costs of fixing defects.

Invercargill Building Inspectors

Southland Residential Property Advice
Building Inspection in Invercargill
Category: Building Inspection

Joe MacDonald - Property Advice Inspection Services
Building Inspection in Invercargill
Property Advice was formed in 2000 with the aim of providing Southlanders
with the highest standard of report information. The company’s
owner/operator, Joe MacDonald, is a trade certified Master Builder
with over 25 years of self-employed experience in the construction
industry.
Category: Building Inspection

Southland Residential Property Advice
Building Inspection in Invercargill
Category: Building Inspection

House Call Ltd
Building Inspection in Invercargill
Category: Building Inspection
Lynn and John Mouat
Phone 0800 339 124

Property Advice Inspection Services Ltd
Building Inspection in Invercargill (Gore based)
Category: Building Inspection
Phone 027 201 0388

SGS New Zealand Ltd
Building Inspection in Invercargill
Category: Building Inspection
Phone 03 214 1140 or 027 598 7185

Inspecta
Building Inspection in Invercargill
Category: Building Inspection
Phone 021 999 593

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